Location
  • Iceland
Term
Fall, Maymester, Spring
Subject Areas
Agriculture Biology Communications Conservation and Preservation Earth Sciences Ecology Landscape Architecture Natural Sciences Social Sciences Sociology

Program Details

Program Type
Direct Enrollment
Degree Level
Bachelors
Language
English

Pricing

Starting Price
$2,000 USD
Price Details
Program costs included 15 semester hours of credit for our fall and spring semester programs (3 credits for our 3 week Maymester), and all in-country expenses including: food, lodging, in-country transportation, activity fees, materials, etc. Students are responsible for return airfare from U.S.
Feb 14, 2019
Jun 15, 2018

About Program

Would you like to travel to and live in one of the most fascinating geological, historical, and environmentally friendly countries in the world? If so, consider joining us for an educational adventure in Iceland: the land of fire and ice to learn about the concept of “Sustainability Through Community.” Experience life at Solheimar eco-village, a community dedicated to sustainable living practices. Get up close and personal with glaciers, volcanoes, and geothermal hot springs, and explore Iceland, one of the most remote, geologically unique, and environmentally friendly countries in the world. For more information visit our website or give us a call.

Program Reviews

9.5 Rating
based on 2 reviews
  • 9-10 rating 100%
  • 7-8 rating 0%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 0%
  • Academics 7.5
  • Support 9.5
  • Fun 10
  • Housing 9.5
  • Safety 10
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Default avatar
Tucker
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Trip of a Lifetime

CELL Iceland was a transformative trip! We studied sustainability there, but LEARNED far more Bam just that. Through meeting many Icelandic people, traveling to awe inspiring places, and saying “yes” to doing new things, I was able to experience life in full. Dave and Sue, CELL’s founders and our professors are some of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. They pushed us each day to see the good in each other, and the world. You will grow tremendously from this trip. You don’t want to miss out!

What would you improve about this program?
Keep it as is!
7 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Caroline
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent holistic education in a tightknit, caring community

This is an environmental studies program based out of the first eco-village in the world, Solheimar. We lived in the guest house of the community with our two instructors from the U.S. and participated in the daily functioning of the tightknit community-- where half of the residents had special needs.

Based on tenets of systems thinking, the educational model of CELL is to get out from behind a computer screen or book and in to an experience that will teach you immeasurably more. The readings are less rigorous than what I was used to, but probably more rigorous than many other study abroad programs. However most of the learning is discussion based and I learned much more from the experiences and expertise of my peers (only 9 others on the program), making it incredibly engaging every single day. We also met with important environmental figures in Iceland including a member of parliament, a former government employee turned activist, a member of an environmental NGO, the director of the soil conservation service, and many more. We learned about geothermal and hydroelectric energy by actually going and seeing how they work. We learned about agricultural practices by, again, going to visit farmers or varying sizes and magnitudes.

We learned how important a community is for creating a sustainable future by being a part of a community that promoted trust and acceptance, and celebration! We saw northern lights, swam in hot springs, and experienced some of the most beautiful places I've ever been. And finally we experienced how empowering it is to make individual change in our own lives as we work more broadly for policy action on climate change, or study ocean acidification, or work for NGOs strengthening local food systems. A self proclaimed bacon addict turned into a vegetarian, and one of my most trusted confidants. There is something that cannot be described about the sense of community that was built in such a short amount of time. And that is something that I will never forget.

What would you improve about this program?
As with anything sustainability related, there can always be greater measures taken to be sustainable. The community we lived in, Solheimar, was n the right track, but was not as sustainable as I thought hey would be going into it.

Also the readings could have been more complex and nuanced to fuel our discussions.

It should be longer and with a few day backpacking trip included!
8 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Yes, a college transcript is available through Northland College, CELL's credit partnering institution. Let us know if you have any further questions.